Listen and Give Heed - January 26

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I worship You in spirit and seek You in truth; I wait on You with hunger and trust in You by faith. I want to start this new day rooted and grounded in Your Word, firmly secure in Your love, and in deep communion with Your Spirit. ...

"Listen to Me, you that pursue righteousness, you that seek the Lord. Look to the rock from which you were hewn, and to the quarry from which you were dug.... Listen to Me, My people, and give heed to Me, My nation; for a teaching will go out from Me, and My justice for a light to the peoples. I will bring near My deliverance swiftly, My salvation has gone out and My arms will rule the peoples; the coastlands wait for Me and for My arm they hope.... My salvation will be forever, and My deliverance will never be ended" (Isaiah 51:1-6).

O Lord, My God, stir up my spirit to pursue righteousness. Stir up the spirit of my city, my nation, my people to pursue righteousness - to be right with You, right with one another, right within ourselves. Move us and enable us to listen to You, to give heed to You. May we embrace Your teaching and enforce Your justice. May we be expectant in Your hope. And may we see Your swift deliverance and experience the fullness of Your salvation.

Stretch forth Your arm to rule and Your hand to heal. Send forth Your Spirit to awaken us and empower us to be all You've created and called us to be. "Awake, awake; put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake, as in days of old, the generations of long ago! ...So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sadness shall flee away!" (v. 51:9-11)

Yes, Lord; let it be so in me and in my land, in our generation, as in the generations of long ago. And yet, let it be so in our generation as never before. "But as it is written, 'What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love Him' - these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God" (1 Corinthians 2:9-10). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Coach D will speak and lead us in prayer on Fatherhood. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders will lead us throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word! (Flyer Below)
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

"From the Womb of the Morning" - January 25

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I open the door of my heart and yield to Your - embraced by the Father, centered in Christ, filled with the Holy Spirit - as I begin the journey of this day with You, O Lord, my God. ...

"The Lord sends out from Zion your mighty scepter. Rule in the midst of your foes. Your people will offer themselves willingly on the day you lead your forces in holy splendor. From the womb of the morning, like dew, your youth will come to you. The Lord has sworn and will not change His mind, 'You are a priest forever according the Order of Melchizedek' " (Psalm 110:2-4).

Your Spirit spoke these words to King David and through him to the coming Messiah-the mighty King and the holy Priest. And now, in Christ, our Messiah, we are "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God's own people, in order that (we) might proclaim the mighty acts of Him who called (us) out of darkness into His marvelous light" (1 Peter 2:9).

As we come into the place of communion in prayer at the beginning of our day, into "the womb of the morning," You draw Your forces together in holy splendor. You align us and empower us - all who offer themselves willingly to Your plans and purposes for our day. Through us, You stretch out Your mighty hand and through us You speak forth Your mighty word, for we are "the Body of Christ" (1 Corinthians 12:27). We are filled with "the Spirit of Christ" (Romans 8:9). And we continue the ministry of Christ (John 20:21). Lead us today into the battles You choose in the power of Your love, as a mighty army, arrayed in holy splendor, to proclaim Your mighty acts. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word! (Flyer Below)
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

A City for God - January 24

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I am Yours and You are mine. Abide in me as I abide in You. You are the Vine and I am one of Your branches; let the life of Your Spirit flow into me and through me to bear fruit of Your Spirit through my life today. ...

"But seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you ..." (Jeremiah 29:7).

You've sent me to different cities in the different seasons of my life. When I think back on the events I've experienced, the encounters I've had, and the relationships I've known, I often relate them to the cities where I've lived. Each has been very different. And so are the things You accomplished in me and through me in each of those cities. And of course, Your Holy Spirit was not the only spirit trying to accomplish things in me and through me in those cities either. But You have caused it all to work together for good, as You've given me the grace to keep responding to Your love and following Your call, according to Your purposes (Romans 8:28).

For a long season now, You've had me here in the city of Lexington, Kentucky and the surrounding region. Here I've grown in the Spirit and battled in the flesh; here I've mourned times of great sorrow and sadness and experienced great heights of joy; here I've received great ministry of healing and freedom, and You've taught me how to minister that same healing and freedom to others in Your name and by Your power.

Several years ago, You gave me a great burden for this city and the unction of the Holy Spirit to call others to pray "for the welfare of the city" where You have strategically positioned us for this season of our lives. We put out the word to the intercessors and prayer warriors and watchmen on the walls of the city to come together at the beginning of the year to seek Your face and listen for Your voice to hear Your heart for our city in the coming year. We've been doing this for five years now, as we come together in unity, stand firm in the faith, and move forward in the Spirit to advance Your Kingdom in these spheres of influence You've entrusted to us.

Be with us this weekend for our 2012 Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit. Help us humble ourselves to seek Your face, call on Your name, and return to Your ways on behalf of ourselves and our city, as far as Your grace will go, as You come to strengthen our hearts and heal our land (2 Chronicles 7:14). Together, let us fulfill our calling to be a city for God, with the Father's heart of mercy and love, shining forth the light of Christ through the hearts of Your people (Matthew 5:14). As this city where You have sent us for this season prospers in Spirit, so will we; "... for in its welfare (we) will find (our) welfare" (Jeremiah 29:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word! (Flyer Below)
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

"Pure in Heart" - January 23

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, fill my spirit, soul, and body with the fullness of Your Presence in the intimacy of communion with You in prayer. ...

"Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God" (Matthew 5:8).

The "pure in heart" are those whose sins have been forgiven by the mercy of God through the blood of Jesus. But the meaning of the original language also speaks of those whose hearts have been cleansed as though "purified by fire" or prepared "like a vine cleansed by pruning and so fitted to bear more fruit" (katharos, Strong's Lexicon).

Purify my heart, Lord. Give me the grace to keep giving my heart to You, allowing You to cleanse it, heal it, purify it, and prepare it to bear the fruit of Your Spirit through my life today and every day. Help me embrace Your pruning, with a heart full of hope for all the good things to come. I want to be one of those who see God, one of those who are pure in heart - not just when I go to heaven when I die, but as Your bring Your heaven into my heart every day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. Margaret Therkelsen, author and spiritual mother in our city, will be speaking and leading us in prayer Friday Night. Bishop Morton of Frankfort and the State-wide Prayer Movement, with other prayer leaders and worship leaders throughout the weekend. All are welcome! Please spread the word!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar
Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

 Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

The Key to "Well-Being" - January 19

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Open the eyes of my heart, Lord; I want to see You. Open the ears of my spirit; I want to hear You. I'm watching; I'm waiting in the silence of surrender to sense Your leading in these first moments of my morning. ...

"So acknowledge today and take to heart that the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. Keep His statues and His commandments, which I am commanding you today for your own well-being and that of your descendants after you, so that you may long remain in the land that the Lord your God is giving you for all time" (Deuteronomy 4:39-40).

I look to You. I acknowledge You. You are God in heaven above and on the earth beneath; there is no other. You are my Creator. You are my Lord and Savior. You are the Ruler of this universe and the Sovereign One over my life. You know what is best for "(my) own well-being." You know the way for me to "long remain in the land" of the promises and blessings that You have prepared for me through my identity and destiny in You. And that way is to trust in Your nature and obey Your commands.

What is Your nature? What are Your commands? They are both revealed in Jesus Christ, Emmanuel, God with us - the One who is Love, the One who perfectly walks in Love, and the One who calls us to follow You in that walk and expression of Your nature: "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. No one has greater love than this, to lay down one's life for one's friends. You are My friends if you do what I command you.... I am giving you these commands so that you may love one another" (John 15:12-17).

My health, my "well-being" in spirit, soul, and body, is dependent upon my obedience to Your command to love. My possession of Your promises for my identity and my destiny is dependent upon my obedience to Your command to love. Lord Jesus, You said, "As the Father has loved Me, so I have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love" (John 15:9-10). Teach me, lead me, and empower me to abide in Your love in obedience to Your command. I know I can't do that apart from You and Your Spirit abiding in me, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13). In Jesus name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night, Jan 20th at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship on the 3rd Friday of every month. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit and the loving embrace of the Father heart of God. Andrew Eberheart from Asbury will be leading in worship, while Sylvia and I will be leading in prayer and ministry this month. All are welcome! Please come and spread the word!

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"Complacent in the Land" - January 18

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Good morning, heavenly Father. Good morning, Holy Spirit.
Lord God Almighty, You are One and You are holy. You are Love and You love me. So
as best as I can and all by Your grace, I love You and seek You with all my heart
and all my soul. ...

"When you have had children and children's children, and become complacent in the
land, if you act corruptly by making an idol in the form of anything, thus doing
evil in the sight of the Lord your God, thus provoking Him to anger, I call heaven
and earth to witness against you today that you will soon utterly perish from the
land that you are crossing the Jordan to occupy; you will not live long on it, but
be utterly destroyed.... From there you will seek the Lord your God, and you will
find Him if you search after Him will all your heart and soul" (Deuteronomy 4:25-29).

Lord, forgive me and forgive us, as Your people in the families and cities and nations
where You have positioned us, where we have become complacent in the land. Forgive
us where we have made idols of people and things instead of seeking first Your Kingdom
and Your righteousness, trusting You to provide all that we need in Your time and
in Your way. Forgive us where we've grown passive and lazy, dependent upon our government
or our employment or other people to provide for our needs and fulfill our desires.
Pour out a Spirit of repentance and awakening upon us, O God - in our hearts and
in our land.

Lord, continue to call us to return to You. We can't do it ourselves, in our own
will power alone. It's not by our might or our power, but by Your Spirit. But we
can come into agreement with Your Word and in cooperation with Your Spirit to awaken
and arise and search after You again with all our heart and all our soul, holding
nothing back.

And as we awaken and arise - even if it's only a remnant who will on behalf of all
- we thank You for Your promise: "In your distress, when all these things have happened
to you in time to come, you will return to the Lord your God and heed Him. Because
the Lord your God is a merciful God; He will neither abandon you nor destroy you;
He will not forget the covenant with your ancestors that He swore to them" (v. 4:30-31).

All that happened to Israel, the people of Your covenant, is an example to us to
understand Your spiritual principles of trust and obedience, judgment and mercy,
repentance and forgiveness (1 Corinthians 10:6). And under our covenant of grace
in Christ, grounded in Your covenant of mercy with Israel, You still call us to
trust and obedience, as the measure and expression of our love: "If you keep My
commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have keep My Father's commandments
and abide in His love. I have said these things to you so that My joy may be in
you, and that your joy may be complete" (John 15:10-11).

Lord, help us trust You and obey You. Help us awaken and arise and return to You.
Help us embrace Your Spirit with a fervent passion to search after You again will
all our heart and soul. Release a Spirit of obedience; free us from the spirit of
complacency and the spirit of idolatry. Deliver us from evil and fill us afresh
with Your Holy Spirit, so that Your joy may be in us and our joy may be complete.
In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night, Jan 20th at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries
monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship on the 3rd Friday
of every month. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship
Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit and the loving embrace of the Father heart
of God. Andrew Eberheart from Asbury will be leading in worship, while Sylvia and
I will be leading in prayer and ministry this month. All are welcome! Please come
and spread the word!

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal
the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's
to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships
are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for
our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian
Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"Steadfast Love of the Most High" - January 17

Good morning, Lord Jesus. With the eyes of my heart and the ears of my spirit, I wait for Your Presence and watch for Your leading. ...

"In Your strength, the king rejoices, O Lord, and in Your help how greatly he exults! ...

For the king trusts in the Lord, through the steadfast love of the Most High he shall not be moved.... Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength! We will sing and praise Your power" (Psalm 21:1-13).

In Your steadfast love, I am strong. In Your mighty power, I am secure. You embrace the yearnings of my spirit; You defeat the enemies of my soul. You love me and fight for me; You always reach out to me and never abandon me. My hope and trust is in You.

As I begin this new day, I exalt in Your help; I sing and praise Your power. You are the Most High-mighty and strong, loving and wise. Like King David, I look to Your leading and lean into Your loving, praising You for Your power that goes before me and Your Presence that goes with me, throughout all the moments of my day. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night, Jan 20th at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship on the 3rd Friday of every month. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit and the loving embrace of the Father heart of God. Andrew Eberheart from Asbury will be leading in worship, while Sylvia and I will be leading in prayer and ministry this month. All are welcome! Please come and spread the word!

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Spiritual Eyes - January 16

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Draw me into the deep place of prayer, Your Spirit in communion with my spirit, as I start this day centered in Your Presence and grounded in Your Word. ...

When an attendant of the man of God rose early in the morning and went out, an army with horses and chariots was all around the city. His servant said, 'Alas, master! What shall we do?' He replied, 'Do not be afraid, for there are more with us than there are with them.' Then Elisha prayed, 'O Lord, please open his eyes that he may see.' So the Lord opened the eyes of the servant, and he saw; the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire all around Elisha" (2 Kings 6:15-17).

O Lord, open my eyes that I may see. Let my natural eyes be open to see the people and circumstances that I'll encounter today, being fully alive and fully engaged with all my natural senses. But also let my spiritual eyes be open to see the fullness of the spiritual reality beyond my senses.

With "the eyes of (my) heart" open to the truth of Your power and Presence all around me, I will not falter or fear in where You lead me to go and what You call me to do, by the power of the grace of God today (Ephesians 1:17-18). Some may trust in horses, some may trust in chariots; some may trust in the worldly wisdom and strength of natural insight and natural senses alone; but I will trust in the Lord, my God (Psalm 20:7). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Come to The Fountain! This Friday Night, Jan 20th at 7 pm for our Messiah Ministries monthly city-wide gathering for prayer, praise, and healing worship on the 3rd Friday of every month. Come drink deeply from The Fountain of Living Waters as we worship Jesus in the freedom of His Holy Spirit and the loving embrace of the Father heart of God. Andrew Eberheart from Asbury will be leading in worship, while Sylvia and I will be leading in prayer and ministry this month. All are welcome! Please come and spread the word!

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries. Request the dvd's to watch from Level 1 and you can still attend Level 2. Some partial scholarships are available so all can attend and be trained.  www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit

January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

"The Spirit of Jesus" - January 13

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Peace, the Shalom of God. Bring me into that
deep place of trusting faith, where I am at peace with God, at peace with others,
and at peace within myself. ...

"When they had come opposite Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the
Spirit of Jesus did not allow them; so, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas"
(Acts 16:7-8).

Sometimes Your Spirit says, "Yes." Sometimes Your Spirit says, "No." Sometimes Your
Spirit says, "Wait." Sometimes Your Spirit says, "Slow." Lord, I need to know what
Your Spirit is saying to me every moment of every day.

I trust You to know what's best for me. So help me grow in sensitivity to Your Spirit
to know what You're saying and to follow how You're leading. Help me learn to live
a lifestyle of constant communion of with You. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please come join us and spread the word:

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for
our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian
Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar
Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal
the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Walk with God - January 12

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I intentionally choose to intentionally abide in You,
as You abide in me, throughout the moments of my day. ...

"Enoch walked with God; then he was no more, because God took him" (Genesis 5:24).

Like Enoch, I want to walk with You until I am no more. I want to walk with You
until "it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me" (Galatians
2:20). Teach me how, Lord. Show me what that looks like.

In the power of Your grace, Enable me to live for You. Enable me to live in You
and allow You to live through me. "As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as
you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving" (Colossians 2:6-7, NKJV).

Like Enoch, come and take me, Lord-all that I am and all that I have. I've been
bought with a price and now my life is no longer my own. "And the life I now live,
I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" Galatians
2:20). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please come join us and spread the word:
5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for
our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian
Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar
Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal
the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

Grow in Grace - January 10

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I look and listen; I watch and wait. Come, Holy Spirit. ...

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity" (2 Peter 3:18).

Along the journey of my life, it seems I've learned how to grow in knowledge, affirmed by the pieces of paper, framed as certificates and degrees, hung on my walls or tucked away in my closets-a high school diploma, an Associate of Arts, a Bachelor of Business Administration, a Masters of Divinity, a Doctorate of Jurisprudence, Board Certification in Trial Law. And along the way, it seems I've grown in the knowledge of our Lord Savior Jesus Christ-Bible classes, Sunday School lessons, theological studies, meditation of the Word of God, and my personal spiritual journey of faith. I've needed to grow, even been driven to grow in knowledge. But maybe most of all, I'm realizing how much I need to grow in grace.

Lord, teach me to grow in grace. How do I do it?

It seems I hear You say: "My son, My grace is My favor upon you, My mercy toward you, and My power through you. You grow in grace as you learn to depend upon Me alone. You can't earn it or deserve it; you can only receive it. Learn to receive My grace, My son; and You will grow in grace, My son."

Yes, Lord. In our world of striving, with all the pressures and expectations we put upon ourselves or allow others to put upon us, it's hard to look to You alone to find my sense of identity and allow You alone to direct my sense of destiny. But as best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to trust in You, to rest in You, to depend upon You.

My Father God, help me embrace the peace and the truth that "it is God (not me) who is at work in (me), enabling (me) both to will and to work for (Your) good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13). Help me come to understand Your promise, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:9). Help me grow in grace, all by the grace of God. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

 Friends, please come join us and spread the word:

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2

February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Supernatural Strengthening - January 9

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In the communion of prayer, let my human spirit engage
with Your Holy Spirit and my human nature yield to Your holy nature. ...

"May you be made strong with all the strength that comes from His glorious power,
and may you be prepared to endure everything with patience, while joyfully giving
thanks to the Father, who has enabled you to share in the inheritance of the saints
in the light" (Colossians 1:11-12).

There is a supernatural strengthening that comes from within-from Your Spirit abiding
within my spirit (John 15:4). Your Holy Spirit strengthens my human spirit with
Your glorious power. Your Holy Spirit sensitizes my human spirit with Your tender
leading. Your Holy Spirit aligns my human spirit with Your wise will. In that strengthening,
You prepare me and empower me to endure anything without losing my patience or letting
it steal my joy. This is part of my inheritance as a saint in the light, a child
of God filled with the Spirit of Christ. This is part of the fulfillment of Your
promise, "Christ in you, the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27).

Lord, strengthen me more every day. Grow me up "to maturity, to the measure of the
full stature of Christ," as I seek to "grow up in every way into Him who is the
head, into Christ" (Ephesians 4:11-16). It's all by the power of Your grace, and
it's all in the journey of faith. Thank You for meeting me here in my heart, Spirit
to spirit, as I start off another day of our journey in communion with You. Thank
You for Your compelling invitation to start each day embraced by the Father, centered
in Christ, and filled with the Holy Spirit. Help me now continue to abide with You,
in the communion of Your Spirit, throughout the moments of my day. In Jesus' name
I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please come join us and spread the word:

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for
our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian
Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Ministries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal
the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"Not Your Own" - January 6

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are One with the Father and One with the Holy Spirit.
Through the deep communion of intimate prayer and trusting surrender, draw me into
the place where You are One within me. ...

"But anyone united to the Lord becomes one spirit with Him.... Or do you not know
that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you. which you have from God,
and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price; therefore glorify
God in your body" (1 Corinthians 6:17-20).

I am not my own. I belong to You. I was in slavery to sin and death, but You came
and saved me. I was lost, but now I'm found; I was dead, but now I'm alive; I was
bound but now I'm free. Now I'm cleansed by the blood of the Lamb and filled with
the Spirit of God. My heart is Your home and my body is Your temple. You are Lord
of all that I am and Lord of all that I have. I am Yours. ...

Lord, help me live my life today like I truly mean the words I've just prayed. Show
me in all the encounters I'll have and all the choices I'll make, throughout all
the moments of my day, what a difference it makes if these words are true. ...

I know I'll need the power of Your grace, because I know it's not by my power or
my might, but by Your Spirit alone that I can glorify You in my body and by my
life-one day at a time. Thank You that I know that I have it, and Your grace is
sufficient for me (2 Corinthians 12:9). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please come join us and spread the word:

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for
our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Second Street Christian
Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar
Messiah Minsitries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, KentuckyEquipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal
the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of
the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"Set All Your Hope on the Grace" - January 5

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I seek Your face and listen for Your voice to begin my day following You. ...

"Therefore prepare your minds for action; discipline yourselves; set all your hope on the grace that Jesus Christ will bring you when He is revealed" (1 Peter 1:13).

I want all my hope to be on all Your grace. So I willingly choose to desperately depend upon You alone. Help me prepare my mind and discipline my will to live this way. Your grace is Your power to forgive me, to heal me, to free me, to change me more into Your image every day-if I will consciously choose to deliberately set all my hope in You.

One day, the great power of Your great grace will be fully revealed to me when You return in glory on earth or I go to glory in heaven. But every day between this day and that one, I believe You desire to continually, increasingly reveal Yourself to me and to all who truly seek You. Every moment of every day is chance to choose to trust You and to entrust myself to You. As I do, I will "grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity" (2 Peter 3:18). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Friends, please come join us and spread the word:

5th Annual Greater Lexington Strategic Prayer Summit
January 27-28, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
"Contend for the Faith" -- A regional gathering to seek the Word of the Lord for our city and region for 2012, hosted this year at East Third Street Christian Church in downtown Lexington, Kentucky. All are welcome!
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Messiah Minsitries' School of Spiritual Ministry - Level 2
February 1-4, 2012 in Lexington, Kentucky
Equipping and empowering leaders for healing prayer and prophetic ministry to heal the brokenhearted and set the captives free in the name of Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit. Led by Tommy & Sylvia Hays of Messiah Ministries.
www.messiah-ministries.org/calendar

Be empowered, equipped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Power Encounters in the Spirit of Christ - January 4

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are my Lord and Savior, my Best Friend and King. I entrust this day and all my life to You, O Lord, my God-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. ...

"Then Jesus summoned His twelve disciples and gave them power and authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to cure every disease and every sickness.... 'As you go, proclaim the good news, The Kingdom of Heaven is at hand...' " (Matthew 10:1-7).

You're still sending forth Your faithful disciples, just as You sent forth Your first disciples, to encounter the powers of darkness and the kingdoms of this world with the power of the Holy Spirit and the Kingdom of God. Sickness must bow; disease must be healed; demons must go. "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever" (Revelation 11:16, NKJV).

These are power encounters-Your power that destroys the power of the kingdom of darkness through the power of the blood of Jesus. "The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil" (1 John 3:8). And now You have entrusted Your power to be released in the power of Your love through those who are called by Your name as the Body and Bride of Christ. The same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same Spirit within us, empowering us with authority in this world, as the Body of Christ to continue the ministry of Christ (Romans 8:9-11).

Lord Jesus, as the Father sent You, so You send us in Your power and authority to continue to accomplish Your purpose-to destroy the works of the devil (John 20:21). "The God of peace will shortly crush Satan under (our) feet" (Romans 16:20). It's not in our power, but Yours-the power of the Spirit of "Christ in (us), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). "Not by might, nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord of hosts" (Zechariah 4:6). So I praise You, Lord God Almighty, with excitement and expectation, for the opportunities and encounters I'll have today to see the kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of my God, through the power and authority of the Spirit of Christ living in me. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Happy New Year! I pray for you to know the intimacy, power, and authority of Christ in your heart and every dimension of your life this year, in Jesus' name. Thank you for joining with me in the journey of prayer. I'll be praying for you. Would you please be praying for me? God bless you!

Be empowered, equiped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries

www.messiah-ministries.org

Fasting and Praying, Worshipping and Waiting - January 3

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Align my heart with Your heart, my mind with Your mind,
my ways with Your ways. I want to start well and end well, with Your Spirit guiding
my steps throughout the moments of my day. ...

"While they were worshipping the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, 'Set apart
for Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.' Then after fasting
and praying, they laid their hands on them and sent them off" (Acts 13:2-3).

Sylvia and I are beginning the first fourteen days of this new year fasting and
praying, worshipping and waiting for the clear leading of Your Holy Spirit. What
is the work to which You have called us this year? Who are those You've called
to come alongside us? Who are those You've called us to come alongside? Where are
You leading us; where will You send us?

Give us grace to wait with patience and faith for what we don't yet need to know.
Give us tenacity and perseverance to press in to You for what You want us to find
now. Let us be content with where we are in the journey; but at the same time, let
us always be excited and expectant for what lies ahead.

A wise friend of ours recently told us, "Everybody needs someone to love, something
to do, and something to look forward to." Thank You for giving us all three. And
thank You for calling us into this deep place to hunger and thirst to seek and
find what You have for us now. "It is the glory of God to conceal things, but the
glory of kings is to search things out" (Proverbs 25:2). In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
Happy New Year! I pray for you to know the intimacy, power, and authority
of Christ in your heart and every dimension of your life this year, in Jesus' name.
Thank you for joining with me in the journey of prayer. I'll be praying for you.
Would you please be praying for me? God bless you!

Be empowered, equiped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org 

Excited and Expectant - January 2

Good morning, Lord Jesus. You are the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.
As I come to the end of 2011 and begin 2012, I know You are with me-watching over
me, going before me, and coming alongside me. I'm excited and expectant to see what
You have planned for me. ...

"Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your Presence? If I ascend
to heaven, You are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, You are there. If I take the
wings of the morning and settle at the farthest limits of the sea, even there Your
hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me fast" (Psalm 139:7-10).

You are everywhere in the heavens and on the earth, yet You are here in my heart.
You hold all time and eternity in Your hands, yet You are here in every moment of
my day. You see all things, know all things, rule and reign over all things, yet
You are mindful of every thought in my mind, every desire in my heart, and every
word of my mouth. There is none like You.

"How weighty to me are Your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! I try
to count them-they are more than the sand; I come to the end-I am still with You"
(v. 139:17-18). Yes, Lord. I am still with You, because You have chosen to still
be with me. You've called me to remember that You've forever promised to be with
me forever (Matthew 28:20). So how could I be anything less than excited and expectant
to begin this new year with You, with great anticipation to see all You have planned
for me? I'm ready to come and see. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

Happy New Year! I pray for you to know the intimacy, power, and authority
of Christ in your heart and every dimension of your life this year, in Jesus' name.
Thank you for joining with me in the journey of prayer. I'll be praying for you.
Would you please be praying for me? God bless you!

Be empowered, equiped, and encouraged to fulfill your destiny in Christ!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays | Messiah Ministries
www.messiah-ministries.org

"He Was Called Jesus" - December 30

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I want to hear the leading of Your voice and follow in
Your steps throughout the moments of my day. ...

"After eight days had passed, it was time to circumcise the Child; and He was called
Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21).

He was called Jesus-the Salvation of Jehovah-the One Who would be "a mighty Savior
for us" (Luke 1:69). This would not be God coming to earth in all-consuming fire
or with armies of angels. This would be God coming to earth as a Child, not only
in the likeness of human flesh, but even "in the likeness of sinful flesh"-in "likeness,"
yet without sin (Romans 8:3). So God Himself, Immanuel-God with us-would even humble
Himself to be circumcised of the flesh, as a Child of Abraham and the Son of David
in the dedication of His life to the glory and purposes of God.

Lord, I dedicate my heart to You, offering my flesh to You to be stripped away.
"Real circumcision is a matter of the heart-it is spiritual and not literal" (Romans
2:29). And as You strip away my flesh, may You awaken within me the name and the
nature to which You've called me, even as "You knit me together in my mother's
womb" (Psalm 139:13). You are my Salvation-the Salvation of Jehovah-Jesus Christ,
my Lord. Give me Your grace to live my life to honor You. In Jesus' name I pray,
Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
Friends, for your tax-deductible, charitable contributions by year-end, please keep
Messiah Ministries in mind, as you join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every
contribution is greatly appreciated and truly needed. Thank you!

Contrbute to Messiah Ministries
By Mail:

Messiah Minsitries
2800 Tates Creek Rd.
Lexington, Kentucky 40590

By www.PayPal.com through MessiahMin@aol.com
On-line through our website: www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute

God bless you with great favor and blessings this coming year!
Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org 

Spirit of Excitement and Anticipation - December 28

Good morning, Lord Jesus. As I draw near to You, I know You draw near to me-Father,
Son, and Holy Spirit. ...

"When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another,
'Let us go now to Bethlehem and see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord
has made known to us.' So they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the
child lying in a manger" (Luke 2:15-16).

When You made known Your plans, the shepherds couldn't wait to go and see. Your
prophetic word released a spirit of excitement and anticipation within them. They
expected Your word to be true and to come to pass. They didn't waiver or doubt;
they went with haste. And all was as You said.

Lord, thank You for the plans You choose to make known to me. And thank You for
the patience and faith You give me for the plans You choose not to make known to
me. As best as I can and all by Your grace, I choose to trust You to know what's
best. So with a spirit of excitement and anticipation, I look forward to go and
see what You have planned for me today. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
For your tax-deductible, charitable contributions by year-end, please keep Messiah
Ministries in mind, as you join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution
is greatly appreciated and truly needed. Thank you and God bless you!

Messiah Ministries
2800 Tates Creek Rd.
Lexington, Kentucky 40502
Or:  www.paypal.com using MessiahMin@aol.com
Or  www.messiah-ministries.org/partner/contribute

My friends, thank you for joining with me in the journey of prayer this year! God bless
you with excitement and anticpation in this coming year!

Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

Christ is Born in Me - December 26

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Christ is born; Christ in me. ...

"And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life
because of righteousness" (Romans 8:10).

You were born in a manger that Your Spirit could be born in my heart. You set aside
the glory of heaven that I could have the One who is the glory of heaven living
in me. You came in the likeness of human flesh that the flesh of my own will apart
from Your will might die, for me to live a life in Christ. "But you are not in the
flesh; you are in the Spirit, since the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who
does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him" (Romans 8:9).

On Christmas morning, the angels came to the shepherds in the fields, declaring,
"Do not be afraid; for see-I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the
people: To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah,
the Lord!" (Luke 2:10-11). Now on this morning and every morning, I can embrace
this great news of great joy, that my Savior, Christ the Lord, is born in me. "Christ
in (me), the hope of glory" (Colossians 1:27). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
Good morning and Merry Christmas! May the Spirit of Christ be formed in you this day and every
day!

Friends, please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you
join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated
and truly needed. Thank you!

God bless you, Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

"The Time Came" - December 23

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Be my vision and my provision, as I look to You and entrust
my will and my day to You. ...

"Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of
David called Bethlehem, because he was descended from the house and family of David.
He went to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting
a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And
she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in bands of cloth, and laid
him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn" (Luke 2:4-7).

It was "while they were there" that "the time came" for the prophetic promises of
God to come to pass. In the sovereignty of God, there was a specific place for Mary
and Joseph to be and there was a specific time for this fulfillment of their promises
to occur. Centuries before, through the prophet Micah, You spoke of this place:
"But you, O Bethlehem of Ephrathah, who are one of the little clans of Judah, from
you shall come forth for Me one who is to rule in Israel, whose origin is from of
old, from ancient days" (Micah 5:2). And You spoke of this time: "Therefore he shall
give them up until the time when she who is labor has brought forth" (Micah 5:3).

And in the mystery of Your sovereignty and the free will that Your relationship
of Your love with us requires, many choices were made by many people involved for
Mary and Joseph to be at that place, at that time: The Roman governor issued a decree
that required them to travel from Nazareth to Bethlehem. They had to be willing
to travel even though Mary was pregnant and about to give birth. There had to be
too many travelers that filled the inn that this newborn Child would be found in
a manger, not fit for a King. Yet You knew every choice that would be made in fulfillment
of every plan You had.

Lord, prepare me and position me, align me in right relationship with those around
me, move me and establish me to be in the right places, at the right times, for
the fulfillment of Your promises for me. Make me increasingly sensitive to Your
leading and increasingly obedient to Your will. And I pray the same for all who
are around me and all You've chosen to be involved with me in Your plans and purposes
for my life. Let our will align with Your will, our choices align with Your purposes,
as our freedom aligns Your sovereignty. It's a great mystery, but it's also a great
adventure. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

Friends, please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you
join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated
and truly needed. Thank you!

God bless you! Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

A Child, A Son, Everlasting One - December 22

Good morning, Lord Jesus. In what can become the chaos of Christmas, I want to come
away with You in the center of my heart at the start of my day. ...

"And Mary said, 'My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior'"
(Luke 1:46-47).

As My soul magnifies You, my Lord, and as my spirit rejoices in You, my Savior, I
hear You writing the words of a poem of praise on my heart:

A Child, A Son
Everlasting One
In virgin birth
Heaven to Earth
Jesus is our Salvation

That all may hear
And none may fear
From the manger to the cross
He seeks and saves the lost
Jesus is our Salvation

Let the Christmas lights
And songs of Holy Night
Point the way
To the One Who came
Jesus is our Salvation

We honor this Child, this Son
This Holy One
With Christ in our hearts
Forever set apart
Jesus is our Salvation
Help me keep my focus on You, Lord Jesus. Fill my heart with the Spirit of Christ
this Christmas season and every season. You are our Salvation. In Jesus' name I
pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
Friends, please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you
join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated
and truly needed. Thank you!

God bless you! Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

Choosing to Trust in God - December 21

Good morning, Lord Jesus. May the nature of Christ be birthed and matured in me
today and every day. ...

"When Joseph awoke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him; he
took (Mary) as his wife, but had no marital relations with her until she had born
a Son; and he named Him Jesus" (Matthew 1:24-25).

Joseph had an opportunity to choose to be the husband and father You created him
to be. He could trust in his natural wisdom, his gut instincts, his first inclinations
or he could trust in You. But trusting in You meant stretching his faith beyond
what his eyes could see. Trusting in You meant believing in the supernatural realm
of angels and dreams and the voice of God speaking to men to direct their lives.
Trusting in You meant making choices about the most significant decisions he'd
ever make based upon the will of God and not his own, yielding control of his destiny
to a God he could only hear and follow by faith.

Lord, help me faithfully choose to completely trust in You. Give me eyes to see
what You're doing and ears to hear what You're saying. Help me continually stretch
beyond the realm of my natural reasoning into the realm of Your supernatural guidance.
"For we walk by faith, not by sight" (2 Corinthians 5:7). Like Joseph, help me grow
in my willingness and capacity to "trust in (You) with all (my) heart, and lean
not on (my) own understanding; in all (my) ways to acknowledge (You, knowing You)
shall direct (my) paths" (Proverbs 3:5-6). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
Friends, please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you
join with us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated
and truly needed. Thank you!

God bless you! Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

Believing Together - December 20

Good morning, Lord Jesus. I welcome You-Father, Son, and Holy Spirit-into every
moment of my day. ...

"'And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was
spoken to her by the Lord.'...And Mary remained with (Elizabeth) about three months
and then returned to her home" (Luke 1:45-56).

Every day, the Child grew within Mary's womb. And every day, the promises of God
concerning the birth of her Child grew closer to fulfillment. But though she believed
with all her heart that what God had said would come to pass, not everyone would.
So she was led to get away for three months of time with someone who would join
with her in prayer and stand with her in faith for the promises of God to be fulfilled.
"Two are better than one.... For if they fall, one will lift up the other" (Ecclesiastes
4:9-10). Mary and Elizabeth encouraged each other to trust in You and believe Your
promises.

Thank You for the companions and friends, for the prayer partners and soul mates
that You bring into our lives to join with us in the journey of faith. It's not
good to be alone (Genesis 2:18). So You bring us together with others of like mind
and like spirit to help build our faith and hold on to Your promises. When one is
weak, then the other is strong. When one falters, the other can pick us up. And
when we come together in agreement of prayer and faith in the power of Your name,
we see mountains moved and the promises of God fulfilled (Matthew 18:19). Blessed
are we when we believe what You have said and celebrate with each other the words
of God that come to pass. In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org
Please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you join with
us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated and
truly needed. Thank you!

God bless you! Tommy & Sylvia Hays
www.messiah-ministries.org

Life and Joy! - December 19

Good morning, Lord Jesus. Glory to God in the highest. Peace and goodwill toward
men. I embrace Your peace and goodwill within me as I begin my day with You. ...

"When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth
was filled with the Holy Spirit, and exclaimed with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you
among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. And why has this happened to
me that the mother of my Lord comes to me? For as soon as I heard the sound of your
greeting, the child in my womb leaped for joy!' " (Luke 1:41-42)

The life within Elizabeth leaped for joy in the Presence of the One Who is life
and joy. Your Spirit filled her spirit, as Deep called out to deep (Psalm 42:7).
She couldn't help but shout out blessings and praise, as Your joy began to gush
up and flow out of her like a fountain.

Lord, let my spirit live in communion with Your Spirit every day. Let Your joy fill
my heart and Your life fill my spirit. Like Elizabeth, I want to be filled with
the Holy Spirit, releasing words of blessing and praises to God throughout the moments
of my day. Living a life in Your Presence, there is "righteousness and peace and
joy in the Holy Spirit" (Romans 14:17). In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

Be encouraged today! In the Love of Jesus, Tommy Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=orwjxtfab&t=p4yuf9iab.0.0.orwjxtfab.0&id=preview&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.messiah-ministries.org]

Please keep Messiah Ministries in mind for your Year-end Giving, as you join with
us to advance the Kingdom of God. Every contribution is greatly appreciated and
truly needed. Thank you!

Contrbute to Messiah Ministries [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=orwjxtfab&t=p4yuf9iab.0.0.orwjxtfab.0&id=preview&p=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.messiah-ministries.org%2Fpartner%2Fcontribute]

God bless you! Tommy & Sylvia Hays

www.messiah-ministries.org